Content is currency
Posted 3/23/2010 10:09:00 AM by Mark Reichard
We've quoted Mike Berkley's blog post previously in which he said that "content is currency --- companies can print their own, but most don't." The truth of that statement really struck me today as I was looking at the Google Analytics reports for our site --- especially because of the traffic that one fairly random blog post has been getting. Several months ago, I posted a simple html/css solution to an issue that I had in working on a customer site. I thought it was a good solution, and I wanted to share it. I had no intention of trying to attract search engine traffic, and I certainly didn't optimize the post to attract traffic.
Last month, that post got over 1700 pageviews, all from organic search results on sites like Google, Bing and Yahoo. Because I took a couple of minutes to write a quick post several months ago, our site is still getting thousands of pageviews a month from folks who otherwise might not have come. That has real value for us, even if HTML and CSS tips are not really what we are all about.
But, you may ask, is it really like being able to print your own money? I think so, but there are some caveats. Just like being able to print you own money would require a high quality printer and special inks, having people with valuable knowledge in a position to share it requires an investment in the right tools. At least as important, though, is the developing the skill and habit of producing content. Creating good Web content takes practice, and you have to know something worth sharing. Also, not every blog post will attract traffic, which is why making creating content a habit and an integral part of the culture of an organization is so important --- you never know which posts will attract traffic, so at the end of the day it is a numbers game.
Tags: Content ManagementComments
Why translate your Web site
Posted 12/1/2009 12:00:00 AM by Mark Reichard
If you're wondering what's involved in translating your site, here's a
presentation that covers the topic, including issues of workflow
automation and related tools.
Tags: TranslationComments
Rapid Prototyping with Protoshare
Posted 9/3/2009 1:36:00 PM by Mark Reichard
Readers of this blog will know that I'm in favor of any tool that helps with requirements definition and project planning for Web projects. I'm convinced that it's the insufficient definition of requirements and a failure to agree on concrete expectations between clients and developers that are the primary cause of failed Web projects.
Just two weeks ago we were called in to consult with a company that had hired a Web vendor and was concerned about the project. From our discussion, it seemed that the vendor was of the "start writing code first and ask questions later" school of Web project management. and their response to several of the clients requests for details about the sit was that all would become clear once they saw the finished site, and that anything the client did not like could just be changed. Just like you would not hire a contractor who planned to build your building first and then find out how you wanted it look and function, you should not hire a Web developer who does not thoroughly research your requirements and draw up a detailed blueprint for the site.
In line with this idea, we've recently started to use a rapid Web prototyping tool for all sites 
that we develop. The tool is called Protoshare (www.protoshare.com), and it allows you to quickly and easily create functional prototypes of Web sites. You can iteratively prototype the site by first specifying which elements (links, text blocks, form fields) will be on each page without specifying details of colors, fonts and images. This allows you to get agreement on the broad outlines of the site. You can then add additional detail by developing CSS sytle sheets for site elements and uploading images. Finally, you can give a designer access to the prototype to develop design comps for key pages, and these comps can be uploaded directly into the site for client review.
We've found this to be an invaluable tool, and the regular enhancement schedule means that there's a good chance that the few gripes we've had with the tool will be resolved soon.
Tags: Project ManagementComments